Gene Harmon Pastor of Rescue Baptist Church will be here August 30th. We will have a Fellowship Dinner September 2nd.
Call to Worship
What sacred fountain yonder springs
Up from the Throne of God,
And all new cov’nant blessings brings?
’Tis Jesus’ precious blood.
“What mighty sum paid all my debts
When I a bondman stood,
And has my soul at freedom set?
’Twas Jesus’ precious blood.
“What power has borne my sins away,
Like an o’erwhelming flood,
Nor lets one guilty blemish stay?
’Twas Jesus’ precious blood.
“What voice is that which speaks for me
In heaven’s high court for good,
Resistless in its potent plea?
’Tis Jesus’ precious blood.
“What theme, my soul, shall best employ
Thy harp before thy God,
And make all heaven to ring with joy?
’Tis Jesus’ precious blood.
(Tune: Amazing Grace Pg.236)
Come as a Leper
We all know the Scripture says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. “There is none that doeth good, no not one”. “There is none righteous, no not one”. Read Romans 3:9-19. Now look at the Pharisee spoken of in Luke 18:11, “I thank thee that I am not as other men are”. He says, hold on a minute now, I’m different. He refuses to agree with God, but pleads himself and his imagined goodness. But then look at the publican in v. 13. And I love what our Lord said in vs. 14. “I tell you, this man!!”, so as to emphasize not the other man, “went down to his house justified rather than the other”. Then the blessed truth, “for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Oh, please teach me this!!! What this says is if we come to Christ, the Jew must come as the Gentile, the aged grandmother must come as the harlot, the strong man must come as the weakest of men, the rich must come as the poor, the healthy must come as the diseased, the wise as the fool, the learned as the ignorant. We must all come as the leper in Mark 1:40-42. We must come to Christ with a rope around our neck and in full agreement with God regarding our condition. We read throughout Scripture the cries of God’s chosen ones. Isaiah said this, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” Job said, “Behold I am vile”, and then he said, “I abhor myself”. Paul said, “I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing”. “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” And he confessed himself to be the “chief of sinners” and “less than the least of all the saints”. May God give us His grace to come to Him as we are. I see in Scripture nothing but encouragement for sinners to come to Christ, and I see nothing but wrath, condemnation and God’s displeasure with any of man’s attempt to come with the slightest thing to recommend himself to God. “For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted”.
- Brad Hardman
PREACHING THE GOSPEL
My dear friend, we need nothing in these days for revival and refreshing but THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL! This is the only great battering ram that shall dash down the bulwarks of iniquity. This is the great light that shall scatter the darkness. We need no new schemes nor new plans; we need but PREACH THE WORD! We must not neglect it nor despise it. The age in which the pulpit and the preaching of the Word is despised will be an age in which truth will cease to be honored. Once put away God's ministers and you have taken the candle out of the candlestick, quenched the lamp God has appointed in the sanctuary. God has ordained by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Oh, what power there is in THE PREACHED WORD.
PERFECT
The righteousness which is needed to save us must be perfect. Indeed, God will accept nothing less than perfection (Hebrews 7:19). So either we have to be perfect in and of ourselves, or we need to be presented to God in the person of someone who actually is perfect.
This is another reason why our faith can never be our Saviour for our faith is not yet perfect. I don’t know any believer who claims to have perfect faith. Doubtless our faith is growing; but, for that very reason, it cannot be considered perfect! It still has a long way to go! Here’s the truth of the matter, since that which is imperfect cannot justify, an imperfect faith can in no way be counted as a perfect righteousness.
Faith cannot and will not rival the person of Christ for our justification. Saving faith, as it were, knows that Jesus is already perfect! He is “the Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). "He did no sin" (1 Peter 2:22). "He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), "In Him was no sin" (1 John 3:5). He was blameless in his actions, irreproachable in His motives, flawless in his thinking and sinlessly pure in all things. He is perfect!
Older
Top
